Haptic button and haptic device using the same

Abstract

A haptic button providing various stimulations to a user according to a current application and a haptic device using the same are provided. The haptic button includes an electro-active polymer having a flat shape, a pair of electrodes contacting two sides of the electro-active polymer, an electric circuit applying a predetermined voltage to the pair of electrodes, and a sensor sensing a button input from a user, wherein stimulation provided from the electro-active polymer to the user is changed by changing a waveform of the voltage according to a current application status.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and/or other aspects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional button input device;

FIG. 2 is a graph of force versus displacement in the conventional button input device illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate the characteristics of an electro-active polymer and particularly a dielectric polymer;

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate the basic concept of a haptic button according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate the basic concept of a haptic button according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate the basic concept of haptic buttons according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 illustrates the appearance of a portable device including the haptic button according to any one among the first through third exemplary embodiments of the present invention;

FIGS. 8A through 8F are diagrams for explaining the detailed structure of the haptic button according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 9A and 9B are cross sectional views illustrating the detailed structure of the haptic button according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 10A through 10F are diagrams for explaining the detailed structures of haptic buttons according to the third exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a haptic device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A haptic button comprising: an electro-active polymer layer;a pair of electrodes which partially contact two sides of the electro-active polymer layer;a power supply to supply a voltage to the pair of electrodes; anda sensor to sense a button input from a user,wherein stimulation, provided from the electro-active polymer layer of the haptic button to the user who contacts the haptic button, is changed by changing a waveform of the voltage.

2. The haptic button of claim 1, further comprising a fixing portion which fixes the electro-active polymer layer so that a part of the electro-active polymer layer is not expanded.

3. The haptic button of claim 1, wherein the change in the stimulation is change in stiffness of the haptic button.

4. The haptic button of claim 1, further comprising a metal dome providing a bias stiffness to the user, wherein one of the electrodes at least partially contacts an upper curve of the metal dome.

5. The haptic button of claim 1, wherein the waveform of the voltage is changed according to a current application status.

6. The haptic button of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes a contact switch or a touch pad.

7. A haptic button comprising: an electro-active polymer layer;a pair of electrodes which partially contact two sides of the electro-active polymer layer;a power supply to supply a voltage to the pair of electrodes; anda sensor to sense a button input from a user,wherein one side of the electro-active polymer layer comprises a plurality of notches which open when the voltage is applied to the electrodes.

8. The haptic button of claim 7, wherein the user senses a rough texture when the notches are open and wherein the amount of opening in each of the notches increases in proportion to a level of the voltage supplied by the power supply to the pair of electrodes and the rough texture increases as the amount of the opening increases.

9. The haptic button of claim 7, wherein a unique rough texture is given to the haptic button by applying voltage to the electrodes to allow the user to identify the haptic button just through the sense of touch.

10. The haptic button of claim 7, further comprising a fixing portion which fixes the electro-active polymer layer so that a part of the electro-active polymer layer is not expanded.

11. The haptic button of claim 7, wherein the sensor includes a contact switch or a touch pad.

12. A haptic button comprising: an electro-active polymer layer divided into regions;a plurality of pairs of electrodes which partially contact two sides of the electro-active polymer layer;a power supply to supply voltage to the plurality of pairs of electrodes;a sensor to sense a button input from a user;a fixing portion which fixes the electro-active polymer layer at an edge of the haptic button; andat least one separator which extends in at least one direction between a widthwise direction and a lengthwise direction of the haptic button, wherein each separator fixes a portion of the electro-active polymer layer contacting the separator,wherein one of the pairs of electrodes is disposed in each of the regions into which the haptic button is divided by the at least one separator.

13. The haptic button of claim 12, wherein the sensor includes a contact switch or a touch pad.

14. The haptic button of claim 12, wherein voltage is applied to each pair of electrodes in each region in a unique manner to change texture of the haptic button.

15. The haptic button of claim 12, wherein voltage is applied to at least some of pairs of electrodes included in the regions in a unique manner to change texture of the haptic button.

16. The haptic button of claim 12, wherein the separator is moved in the widthwise direction, thereby changing a shape of each region and changing a stimulation provided from the electro-active polymer layer to the user.

17. A haptic device comprising: a contact surface to physically contact a user;an actuator to provide a displacement or a force to the contact surface;a sensor to sense a button input from a user; andt a controller to control an operation of the actuator by applying a voltage,wherein the actuator comprises an electro-active polymer layer and at least a pair of electrodes to which the voltage is applied and which contact the electro-active polymer layer, andwherein stimulation provided from the electro-active polymer layer of the haptic button to the user is changed by changing a waveform of the voltage.

18. The haptic device of claim 17, wherein the actuator further comprises a fixing portion which fixes the electro-active polymer layer so that a part of the electro-active polymer layer is not expanded.

19. The haptic device of claim 17, wherein the change in the stimulation is change in stiffness of the haptic button.

20. The haptic device of 17, wherein the actuator further comprises a metal dome providing a bias stiffness to the user, wherein one of the at least one pair of electrodes at least partially contacts an upper curve of the metal dome.

21. The haptic device of claim 17, wherein the waveform of the voltage is changed according to a current application status.

22. The haptic device of claim 17, wherein the sensor includes a contact switch or a touch pad.

23. The haptic button of claim 12, wherein voltage is applied to one of pairs of electrodes in one of the regions in a unique manner to change texture of the haptic button.

24. A haptic button comprising: an electro-active polymer layer;a pair of electrodes which partially contact two sides of the electro-active polymer layer;a power supply to supply a voltage to the pair of electrodes;a sensor to sense a button input from a user; anda fixing portion which fixes the electro-active polymer layer so that a part of the electro-active polymer layer is not expanded,wherein another part of the electro-active polymer layer expands when voltage is applied.

25. The haptic button of claim 24, wherein the expansion of the another part of the electro-active polymer layer increases the stiffness of the haptic button.

26. The haptic button of claim 25, wherein the stiffness of the haptic button increases as the level of voltage applied to the electro-active polymer layer increases.

27. The haptic button of claim 25, wherein the stiffness of the haptic button decreases as the level of voltage applied to the electro-active polymer layer decreases.

28. The haptic button of claim 24, wherein the voltage has a waveform and the stiffness of the haptic button is changed by changing the waveform of the voltage.

29. The haptic button of claim 24, the waveform of the voltage is changed according to a current application status.

30. A method for changing at least one of stiffness and texture in a haptic button having an electro-polymer layer which contacts at least one pair of electrodes on opposite sides of the electro-polymer layer, the method comprising: generating a voltage having a waveform; andsupplying the voltage to the at least one pair of electrodes to expand the electro-polymer layer to change at least one of stiffness and texture of the haptic button.

31. At least one computer readable medium storing instructions that control at least one processor to perform a method for changing at least one of stiffness and texture in a haptic button having an electro-polymer layer which contacts at least one pair of electrodes on opposite sides of the electro-polymer layer, the method comprising” generating a voltage having a waveform; andsupplying the voltage to the at least one pair of electrodes to expand the electro-polymer layer to change at least one of stiffness and texture of the haptic button.